can you expalin flex angles?

i tried on a comfy pair of boots (Nordica SM8 - i have a narrow heel and struggle to get snugness around there). Im a bit of a lightweight girly and im not sure maybe they are too stiff. The flex number (angle?) was 80. Im an intermediate (reds but have a odd shot at blacks), but i only weigh about 53kg so not awful lot of power. Im looking for something that is a bit forgiving of my loads of enthusiasm but maybe not the most consistent style. Any advice much appricated.

it appears you have received plenty responses on the dark side

Any pics to show us what kind of build you are, fluffy?

I think that a flex index of 80 should be ok for you, if you can get the boots correctly fitted.

Do you have anywhere locally where you can get them adjusted, or have footbeds or some padding inserted?

Its worth the time to be honest.

There are also loads of threads on here about boot fitting and good/bad experiences, which may put your mind at rest and give you some ideas.

Hope you can get it sorted.

Flex Index

Just a short boot information 101 note.

Boot companies want to help you decide in buying boots that reflect your skiing ability and skiing type!

One of the factors which is critical for correct skiing is the flex ,,,that is the fore/aft motion you get from the boot!

To understand this boot flex index think of a car's steering linkage! Some cars have a soft easy steering feel ( power steering), some cars have direct rack and pionion steering so that the slightest motion from the steering wheel will be transmitted to the wheels! Many top level sports cars have this!

Finally there are some top level performance cars that have a computer which "creates gradual tight steering" based on speed levels! I am sure you all accept that as you increase speed you want more "direct" feel of the road!


Take this analogy and apply it to ski boots!

You can have soft flex ( level 70) which will give you lots of fore and aft play thus allow lots of ski freedom! You pay a price for this freedom,,,,,since as you increase speed you do not want to let skis to "wander"! You want to feel every mm. of play on your skis as you ski fast!


Some reference values will help you at this point!

Racing boot flex index ( for top level World CUP racers) is in the 150 range.


Expert skiers/Regional, national racers tend to have boots in the 120-130 range.

Expert skiers tend to have boots with a flex range of 90-110


Beginners should have a boot with a flex index in the 70-80 range!


As always in the skiing world,,,companies do not make life easy for us. There is no standard scale like the "metric" scale! There is no international standard which all ski boot companies respect as far as boot flex! So be careful in using only this index.

Second
On a boot you can have three flex settings. That is the kind of boot I recommend since as you get better in skiing you can "calibrate" your boot's flex according to your skiing competence!


To conclude,,you must also not think of only the boot flex!
The boot design works as a whole. For example you can have a boot with a high flex index of 130 however if the shell is too thin or the cuff is very thin that index is not very relevant since boot shell will constantly "give" as you ski aggressively! In such a boot you will not feel that "direct steering" on skis!

I hope this short answer gives you an idea what boot flex index is! It is not an angle!

In short the smaller the number,,,the MORE play or softer boot you have.

The larger the number,,the less play you have and the boot is stiffer!




Just a side note
Someone took some old 1989 boots and tested their flex and compared them to todays index range! Most top level boots were in the 190+ range! These were not racing boots , just boots for expert level skiers.

In short they were vices! No forward/backward give! You understand why! In those old dinosaure days you have 205 SL skis! You had to "muscle" them around!!!

What does that mean?
Never but never ski with your old great ski boots if you have bought new modern skis! Use them as pencil holders or flower pots!

Sorry, forgot a very important point; that adjustment of the flex level!

Look in the back upper section of the boot cuff.

You will find a screw/or allen key slot or rotating device ( ski companies use various ways to modify flex)!

Always begin with soft flex, even if you are "expert"! You will discover very quickly why you should begin at soft level first!

Once you are at one level,,never but never change on the hill or in mid slope! Wait this next day! Then begin on easy runs for first hour!

Why you ask?

If you really want to get "feeling" on how the boots perform,,then let boots and skis do all work! You just are there to "feel" the boots flexing and skis responding!

Check this setting every month!

Happy skiing and remember, "flexing is allowed everywhere on the hill"

Beginners should have a boot with a flex index in the 70-80 range!
 

I have Head womens S8 boots. Using your measure, they must be for beginners

Pavel is, as always, spot on.

One other thing to take into consideration when deciding on flex is (and apologies if this has already been mentioned) your weight.

I have a pair of Salomon X-Wave 10s. I love my boots very much and have had them for about three to four years now.

They have a flex rating of 95.

The boot fitter who first saw me was trying to get me in a pair with a rating of 70.

I am not usually one to speak up and would often trust the boot fitter's opinion but this young cub was trying to convince me that a 6ft (1.83m) tall, 14 stone (196lbs/89kg) man should have such a soft flex.

So I asked for a second opinion from the owner.

He agreed with me and I ended up with the boot more suitable to my ability and weight.

It is so important that you get the right boot. It is what joins you to your skis and at the price of a pair of boots you want to get it right first time.

Bandit,

I should have also "discussed" women's boots and the flex index range.

Just some background information if you do not mind Bandit. All relavant scales are based on; comparison sample groups ( like IQ scales) or specific standards ( like temp scales which are based on absolute zero)

If ever you want an example of "male oriented, narrow focussed topic,,it is this boot flex scale!

I asked a boot rep once if flex range is same for men and women! That is does 70 index equal same for men and women! I was told yes! Then I researched how companies arrive at these values!!!!! Seems to me that a force exerted by a male to get a male boot to flex 10 mm. is not the same force as a women flexing a women's boot 10 mm.

All this to say that I believe that women's flex index range should not be interpreted IN REFERENCE to men's!

I am meeting soon a great guru of ski safety and ski "mechanics" . He is Carl Ettlinger and I will ask him about this issue since it has relevance to all women!

My wife has a pair of Heads ( not women's boots) and I asked her to try some Head women boots that had same flex index! I asked her specifically about flex feel! (I had not told her about what Bandit brought up)! Her comments, "too soft" too much play!

Same boot company, same flex index,,,,different feel!

Great research project! I promise to follow up on this issue since I will be meeting boot reps soon!!!!

Pavel. Here is one seller's view of my boots.
http://www.skiequipmentuk.com/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_605085

Of course, this is not the dealer I purchased from. That dealer categorised them between sport and performance on their use scale.

Then again, up until about a year or two ago IIRC ise was using Salomon X-Wave 8, so I guess he must be a beginner as well, since they only have a flex index of around 80 I don't think he got the ultra soft women's flex tho'.

So it's looking like he skied the North Face of Bellecote in carpet slippers.
http://snowslider.net/2006/04/18/2006-04-18-bellecote-north-face/

Hirsty wrote:

I have a pair of Salomon X-Wave 10s. I love my boots very much and have had them for about three to four years now.

They have a flex rating of 95.
 

Sorry I meant 110

Bandit,

I checked my technical manuals for ski boots and found something "interesting" that I had never noticed before your comments!

I hope this will "clarify" the issue of women's flex index and men's flex index values! In essence you should not compare the two!

The range of a women's flex index is from 40-100

The range of a men's flex index is 60-150

It is clear then that a women's flex index of 40 (lowest) is "equivalent" to men's 60!


I will wroite to all ski boot compamies and see if I can get them to confirm this idea!

Will get back to you!